Retire Collins with facts

What a shame that Democrats with dark money, more than a year ahead of the election, are running ads with misleading claims about Sen. Susan Collins.These claims, about Social Security and Medicare, have been debunked by the Washington Post.

Facts should be more than enough to retire Collins. Her votes supporting the Trump agenda are facts — and damning ones, especially her vote for the tax bill.

Peg CruikshankCorea

Support Land for Maine’s Future

On Monday, Aug. 26, the Maine State Legislature will consider an infrastructure bond vital to Maine’s economic future that includes funding for roads and bridges, renewable energy, broadband and Land for Maine’s Future (LMF).

LMF’s $20 million portion would provide funds to protect Maine’s critical agricultural and “working waterfronts” threatened by alternative development. The Working Waterfront Access Protection Program preserves land, piers and wharfs along the coast traditionally used for the fisheries and marine economy, while also contributing to tourism — Maine’s largest industry!

Initially funded by voters from a 2003 bond, 25 Working Waterfront projects in towns all along the coast from Lubec to York have been protected from private sale and potentially non-marine uses. Over 42 acres appraised at some $21,000,000 with 7,190 feet of shoreline affecting nearly 1,000 boats and over 1,000 fishermen and families have benefited.

On Monday, please encourage your state senators and representatives to support the bonds, including Land for Maine’s Future, and working waterfronts.

Ron PhillipsWaldoboro

Mainers should decide “death with dignity” debate

The Maine Legislature this year passed LD 1313, the so-called “death with dignity” bill (doctor-assisted suicide). The vote of approval in the Maine House was whisker close, 73 in favor and 72 opposed.

I was one of the Democrats who voted against this bill. My objection was to the introduction of another lethal drug into the state. A drug that could fall into the wrong hands in the way that other legal dugs too often do.

I also have concerns about the acceptance of suicide as a solution to ailments and problems. Suicide is too common, particularly among our youth, and this bill might send the wrong message that suicide is an acceptable way to deal with problems.

A final objection is the Oregon death with dignity group’s targeting our state with their liberal agenda on this subject. We in Maine live by our Latin motto, Dirigo (I lead), and not Sequitur (I follow). We don’t need direction from Oregon on how to run our state.

I suggested in my speech on the House floor that LD 1313 be rejected to allow the successful initiative of the Maine death with dignity group to go forward to a statewide vote in November. That suggestion was rejected and the bill was passed.

Now there is a petition campaign in motion to gather enough signatures to veto LD 1313. I will sign the petition as I believe Maine citizens should decide this important matter in a referendum vote after carefully and thoughtfully weighing the pros and cons.